The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly that Auslan (Australian Sign Language) is an essential method of communication for the ACT Deaf community. The ACT Deaf community is a network of people who share a language (Auslan), a culture and a history of common experiences, similar to an ethnic community. Deaf community members rely on Auslan to communicate. Deaf ACT is the peak body that represents the ACT Deaf community. The availability of services and information in Auslan
in the ACT is inadequate, disadvantaging Deaf Canberrans. Addressing these inequalities will increase the extent to which the Government is complying with ACT legislation including the:
- ACT Discrimination Act 1991
- ACT Human Rights Act 2004.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to, in consultation with the ACT Deaf community:
1. commission an inquiry into the disadvantage and discrimination faced by Deaf people due to lack of access to services and information in Auslan;
2. strengthen and enforce legislation and policy to increase provision of services and information in Auslan across the public and private sectors in the following settings:
- aged care
- education and training
- emergency services
- employment
- health care
- justice
- media (including Government announcements)
- social opportunities.
3. create a set of agreed objectives and targets relating to these settings against which progress on the quantity and quality of services and information in Auslan can be measured against;
4. publicly report progress against these objectives and targets.